Registered louver assembly

ABSTRACT

A registered louver assembly for directing air from a discharge assembly includes a front plate, a rear plate and a plurality of intermediate plates disposed between the front and rear plates. Each of the plates include a plurality of openings therein which are adapted to be aligned with openings in other of the plats so as to form a plurality of passageways through the plates. The intermediate and rear plates are movable relative to the front plate and to each other to incline the aligned passageways so as to direct air in different directions from the discharge assembly. A control rod is disposed through the plates and is operable in effect relative movement between the plates so as to incline the aligned passageways. A control wire is disposed on the front plate and the ends thereof pass through a pair of guides disposed on the rear plate. The control wire prevents skewing of the plates relative to each other by providing positive positioning of the plates in response to movement thereof by the control rod.

[ 1 June 27, 1972 United States Patent Gona et al.

[54] REGISTERED LOUVER ASSEMBLY Primary Examiner-William E. Wayner T C m T m MA 0 T & o n g a e W m MW 2 U A registered louver assembly for directing air from a discharge Eaton Yale & Towne Inc., Cleveland, Ohio March 3, 1971 [73] Assign: assembly includes a front plate, a rear plate and a plurality of [22] Filed:

intermediate plates disposed between the front and rear plates. Each of the plates include a plurality of openings therein which are adapted to be aligned with openings in other of the plats so as to form a plurality of passageways through the plates. The intermediate and rear plates are movable rela- [21] Appl. No.:

[52] U.S. Cl. VM, 98/121 A, 137/5525,

tive to the front plate and to each other to incline the aligned passageways so as to direct air in different directions from the discharge assembly. A control rod is disposed through the plates and is operable in efiect relative movement between the plates so as to incline the aligned passageways. A control wire is disposed on the front plate and the ends thereof pass Int. [58] Field of Search [56] Rem-mm cued througha pair of guides disposed on the rear plate. The con- UNITED STATES PATENTS trol wire prevents skewing of the plates relative to each other m e S n O D. S e r .m S e t .m D. e d 91 m m c On o .116 S 06 WM Uf m 8 g .mm mm mm m y bm NX R W1 um "9 mm o e Mr n i ma hh ES 70 57 99 11 02 1 25 97 76 O9 23 9 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures REGISTERED LOUVER ASSEMBLY The present invention relates to a registered louver assembly for controlling the flow of air from a discharge assembly and more specifically to a louver assembly formed from a plurality of stacked plates and having a control wire extending between the front and rear plates to prevent skewing of the plates and provide for positive positioning of the plates.

Registered louver assemblies are known in the art. These known louver assemblies are generally undesirable due to their complicity and associated high cost of manufacture. Moreover, positive control of the plates of the louver assemblies and the air flow therethrough is not always accomplished due to skewing of the plates upon relative movement therebetween.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved registered louver assembly for directing air from a discharge assembly which is economical to manufacture and which provides for positive control of the air flow from the discharge assembly.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved registered louver assembly for directing air from a discharge assembly including front, rear, and intermediate plates each of which has a plurality of openings therein cooperable to form a plurality of aligned passageways through the plates, a control rod for effecting a relative movement of the plates to thereby incline the aligned passageways so as to direct air in different directions from the discharge assembly and a guide wire disposed on the front plate and extending toward and through a guide means on the rear plate for preventing skewing of the plates relative to each other and positively controlling the inclination of the aligned passageways upon a change in the inclination thereof by the control rod.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved registered louver assembly as recited in the next proceeding paragraph wherein the guide wire has a substantially U-shaped configuration and the guide means on the rear plate include a pair of guide members, each of the ends of the guide wire extending through one of the guide members on the rear plate.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved registered louver assembly including a front plate, a rear plate, a plurality of intermediate plates, the front, rear and intermediate plates being stacked relative to each other and each having a plurality of openings therein cooperable with openings in each of the other of the plates to form a plurality of aligned passageways through the stacked plates, a control rod for effecting relative movement of the plates to thereby incline the aligned passageways to direct air in a desired direction, a guide wire disposed on the front plate and extending toward the rear plate, and guide means disposed on the rear plate and through which the guide wire passes, the guide wire preventing skewing of the plates relative to each other and providing for positive positioning of the plates in response to movement thereof by the control rod.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved louver assembly as recited in the next proceeding paragraph wherein the front plate includes a shoulder portion thereon, the rear plate includes a guideway thereon and the intermediate plates include a shoulder portion' on one side thereof and a guideway on the opposite side thereof, the shoulder portion on the front plate being disposed in the guideway on the adjacent intermediate plate, the shoulder portions of the intermediate plates being disposed in the guideways of the adjacent intermediate plate and the shoulder portion of the intermediate plate adjacent to the rear plate being disposed in the guideway on the rear plate, and wherein the shoulder portions and guideways cooperate to provide for positive positioning of the plates relative to each other.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof taken in conjunction with the drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front view of the louver assembly;

FIG. 2 is a top view of the louver assembly illustrating the cooperation between the plates and the guide wire;

FIG. 3 is a top view of the louver assembly showing the passageways in an inclined position;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken approximately along the lines 4-4 of FIG. 2 and more fully illustrating the rear plate, and

FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view taken approximately along the lines 5-5 of FIG. 1 illustrating the cooperation between the shoulders and guideways of the plates, and illustrating the aligned passageways in an inclined position.

The present invention relates to a registered louver assembly having a plurality of stacked plates each of which has openings therein cooperating to form aligned passageways through the stacked plates. The plates include a front plate, a rear plate, and a plurality of intermediate plates disposed between the front and rear plates. The intermediate and rear plates are movable relative to the front plate to incline the aligned passageways so as to direct the air in different directions from a discharge assembly. A control rod is provided that extends through the plates and effects relative movement between the front, intermediate and rear plates to incline the passageways in a desired direction. The front plate has attached thereto a guide wire which extends toward the rear plate. The rear plate has disposed thereon a pair of guides which engage with the ends of the guide wire. The guide wire acts to prevent skewing of the plates relative to each other and to positively position the plates upon movement thereof by the control rod.

A registered louver assembly 10 is illustrated in FIG. 1. The registered louver assembly includes a front plate 11 having a pair of spring arms 12 and 14 formed integrally therewith for clipping thelouver assembly 10 to a mounting means 9. The spring arms 12 and 14 operate in a well known manner to rigidly hold the front plate 11 in a predetermined position relative to the mounting means 9. The front plate includes a plurality of openings 16 therein for directing air from a discharge assembly associated with the mounting means 9 in a predetermined direction. Disposed centrally of the front plate 1 1 is an opening 22 through which a control rod 18 passes.

The louver assembly as is more fully illustrated in FIG. 2 and 5 includes the front plate 1 1, a rear plate 24 and a plurality of intermediate plates 20, 21, 23, and 25. The front plate 11, the intermediate plates 20, 21, 23, and 25, and the rear plate 24 are disposed in a stacked relationship. Each of the plates includes the openings 16 therein which cooperate to form a plurality of aligned passageways 27.

The control rod 18, as is more fully illustrated in FIG. 5 is disposed within the openings 22 centrally located of each of the plates. The opening 22 upon the front plate includes an inclined surface 38 and an arcuate surface 40. The control rod 18 includes an arcuate surface portion 34 thereon which cooperates with the arcuate surface portion 40 of the front plate 11 and provides for relative rotation therebetween. The control rod then passes through the openings 22 in the intermediate plates 20, 21, 23 and 25. Each of the intermediate plates includes an inclined surface 42 and a shoulder portion 44 which substantially define the centrally located openings 22. The shoulder portions 44 are engageable with the control rod 18 upon movement thereof to transfer the movement of the control rod 18 to the plates. The control rod 18 includes a handle portion 36 disposed on one end thereof which projects from the opening 22 of the front plate 11. The handle portion is operable to be grasped and rotated to effect inclination of the aligned passageways 27 in the desired direction.

The rear plate 24 includes a substantially hemispherical surface portion 28 disposed thereon which cooperates with a bearing member 30 mounted on a necked down portion 46 of the control rod 18. The bearing member 30 includes a substantially hemispherical surface 32 therein which cooperates with the hemispherical surface 28 formed on the rear plate 24 to form a ball joint bearing which provides for positively controlling the position of the control rod 18 upon movement thereof. A clip 50 is disposed on the necked down portion 46 of the control shaft 18 and provides a shoulder against which a spring 48 may abut. The spring 48 is in a normally compressed state and is coaxial to the control rod 18. The spring is disposed against the shoulder on the clip 50 and against the bearing member 30. The spring 48 acts to continuously bias the bearing member 30 into engagement with the hemispherical surface 28 of the rear plate member 24.

A guide wire 56 having a U-shaped configuration is disposed on the front plate 11. The front plate includes a groove 62 disposed thereon and in which the base portion 57 of the guide wire is located. Flange members 64, 65 and 60 are disposed on the front plate member 11 and prevent movement of the base 57 of the guide wire 56 out of the groove 62. The flanges 60, 64 and 65 enable the guide wire to rotate in the groove 62 along an axis parallel to the base portion 57 of the guide wire.

The guide wire 56 includes projecting end portions 58 which are disposed in a direction toward the rear plate24. The guide wire 56 is preferably made of a relatively thin wire and the end portions 58 may bend relative to the base portion 57 of the wire 56. However, the resiliency of the wire will enable the wire to assume its shaped configuration as is shown in FIG. 3 upon movement of the control rod to a position shown in FIG. 3.

Disposed on the rear plate 24 are a pair of guides 52 which have elongate openings 54 disposed therein. The ends 58 of the guide wire 56 are disposed through the openings 54in the guides 52 and enable the guide wire 56 to provide for positive positioning of the plates as the control knob 36 is rotated. The guide wire 56, as is more fully illustrated in FIG. 5, does not normally engage with the intermediate plates 20, 21, 23 and 25. However, upon rotation of the control rod 18 the guide wire may engage with the intermediate plates. The guide wire functions to prevent skewing of the intermediate plates and the rear plate relative to the front plate 11 so as to keep the openings 16 forming the passageways 27 in predetermined positions relative to each other.

The front plate 11 has disposed on the rear portion thereof a shoulder 70 which cooperates with a guideway 72 of the plate 20. The intermediate plates 20, 21, 23 and 25 each include a shoulder portion 74 disposed thereon and a guideway 72 disposed on the opposite portion thereon from the shoulder portion 74. The shoulder portions 74 are disposed in the guideways 72 of the adjacent plates and the shoulder portions 74 of the intermediate plate 25 is disposed in a guideway 78 disposed on the rear plate 24. The shoulder portions 70 and 74 cooperate with the guideways 72 and 78 to positively position the plates relative to each other when inclination of the aligned passageways 27 occurs. It should be appreciated that when the control rod 18 is moved to a position shown in FIG. some of the shoulder portions '70 and 74 will abut with the side surface of the guideways 72 and 78 to thereby limit the movement in a vertical direction as shown in FIG. 5. Specifically, the lower shoulder portions will abut with the sides of the lower set of guideways as is viewed in FIG. 5. When the control rod 18 is moved in a vertical direction upwardly from the position shown in FIG. 5, others of the shoulder portions 70 and 74 of the plates will abut with the sides of others of the guideways to thereby limit the relative movement of the plates. Specifically, when the control knob 18 is moved upwardly the upper set of shoulder portions will engage with the sides of the upper set of guideways as viewed in FIG. 5.

As is illustrated in FIG. 3 and FIG. 5 the control rod 18 can be moved to different positions to effect inclination of the passageways 27. FIG. 3 shows the control rod moved to a position which would normally incline the passageways in a horizontal direction and FIG. 5 shows the passageways inclined in a vertical direction. Accordingly, it should be appreciated that the passageways 27 may assume anyone of a plurality of positions in both a vertical and horizontal direction relative to the mounting means 9. Accordingly, air can be directed from the discharge assembly through the passageway 27 in any of a multitude of directions. The guide wire 56 cooperates with the plates to prevent skewing thereof and accordingly movement of the control member 18 to effect inclination of the aligned passageways 27 from a position shown in FIG. 2 to a position shown in FIG. 3 or 5 will positively position the plates in the desired position. Moreover, the shoulders and 74 provide for cooperation between the plates to limit the movement of the plates and further provide for accurate control of the position of the plates and the inclination of the inclined passageways 27 to thereby positively control the direction of air flow through the louver assembly 10.

It should be appreciated that the louver assembly as shown in the figures consist of a minimum number of parts which are easily assembled. Moreover, the manufacturing costs of the assembly are reduced due to the fact that the intermediate plates 20, 21, 23 and 25 are all of a duplicate construction so that only one mold need be utilized to manufacture all of the intermediate plates. Accordingly, a reduction in cost of the assembly over known louver assemblies has been provided without compromising the control of the air flow therethrough.

From the foregoing it should be apparent that a new and improved louver assembly has been provided which includes a plurality of stacked plates having openings therein. The plates include a front plate, a rear plate and a plurality of intermediate plates stacked between the front and rear plates. The openings in each of the plates cooperate to form aligned passageways which may be inclined by movement of a control rod in a multitude of directions. A guide wire is provided which extends from the front plate through a pair of guide members disposed on the rear plate to prevent skewing of the plates and to positively position the plates relative to each other. Moreover, shoulders and guideways are provided on the plates to limit the movement of the plates and to further control the position of the plates relative to each other upon the inclination of the aligned passageways. The present construction provides a louver assembly which is easy to assemble, low in cost and which provides for positive control of the air flow through the louver assembly.

We claim:

1. A registered louver assembly for directing fluid flow from a discharge assembly comprising a front plate, a rear plate, at least one intermediate plate disposed between said front and rear plates, said front, rear and intermediate plates being stacked relative to each other and having a plurality of openings therein, said openings in said front, rear and intermediate plates being cooperable to form a plurality of aligned passageways through said plates for directing fluid therethrough from the discharge assembly, said intermediate and rear plates being movable relative to each other and to said front plate to direct fluid in different directions by inclining said aligned passageways, a guide wire disposed on said front plate and extending toward said rear plate, guide means located on said rear plate and having said guide wire passing therethrough, said guide wire cooperating with said guide means to prevent skewing of said plates relative to one another and control means associated with each of said plates for effecting movement of said intermediate and rear plates to incline said aligned passageways so as to direct fluid from the discharge assembly in a desired direction.

2. A registered louver assembly for directing fluid from a discharge assembly as defined in claim I wherein said front plate includes a shoulder portion thereon, said intermediate plate includes a shoulder portion on one side thereof and a guideway on the opposite side thereof, and said rear plate includes a guideway thereon, said shoulder portion of said front plate being disposed in said guideway of said intermediate plate and said shoulder portion of said intermediate plate being disposed in said guideway of said rear plate, said shoulder portions and cooperating guideways acting to limit the relative movement between said rear, intermediate, and front plates and provide for positive positioning of said plates relative to each other.

3. A registered louver assembly for directing fluid from a discharge assembly as defined in claim 2 wherein said guide means comprises a pair of spaced apart guide members disposed on said rear plate and said guide wire has a substantially U-shaped configuration with the ends thereof extending through said guide members.

4. A registered louver assembly for directing fluid from a discharge assembly as defined in claim 3 wherein said rear plate includes a hemispherically shaped shoulder portion disposed thereon, said control means includes a control rod having a hemispherical shaped flange portion thereon, said control rod extending through said hemispherical shaped shoulder portion on said rear plate and said hemispherical shaped flange portion mating with said hemispherical shaped shoulder portion to thereby control movement of said control rod and limit the degree of inclination of said aligned passageways.

5. A registered louver assembly for directing fluid from a discharge assembly as defined in claim 4 wherein said control rod further includes spring means biasing said hemispherical shaped flange portion into engagement with said hemispherical shaped shoulder portion.

6. A registered louver assembly for directing fluid from a discharge assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein said guide means comprises a pair of spaced apart guide members disposed on said rear plate and said guide wire has a substantially U-shaped configuration with the ends thereof extending through said guide members.

7. A registered louver assembly for directing air from a discharge assembly including a front plate, a rear plate, a plurality of intermediate plates, said front, rear and intermediate plates being stacked relative to each other, said front, rear, and intermediate plates each having a plurality of openings therein cooperable with openings in each of the other of said plates to form a plurality of aligned passageways through the stacked plates, a control rod for effecting movement of said rear and intermediate plates relative to said front plate to thereby incline said aligned passageways to direct air in a desired direction from the discharge assembly, a guide wire disposed on said front plate and extending toward said rear plate, and guide means disposed on the rear plate and through which said guide wire passes, said guide wire preventing skewing of said plates relative to each other and providing for positive positioning of said plates in response to movement thereof by said control rod.

8. A registered louver assembly for directing air from a discharge assembly as defined in claim 7 wherein said front plate includes a shoulder portion thereon, said rear plate includes a guideway thereon and said intermediate plates each include a shoulder portion on one side thereof and a guideway on the opposite side thereof, said shoulder portion on said front plate being disposed in the guideway on the adjacent intermediate plate, said shoulder portion of the intermediate plate adjacent to said rear plate being disposed in said guideway on said rear plate, and said shoulder portions of the other intermediate plates being disposed in the guideway of the intermediate plate adjacent thereto, said shoulder portions and said guideways cooperating to provide positive positioning of said plates relative to each other.

9. A registered louver assembly for directing air from a discharge assembly as defined in claim 7 wherein said guide means comprises a pair of spaced apart guide members disposed on said rear plate and said guide wire has a substantially U-shaped configuration with the ends thereof extending through said guide members. 

1. A registered louver assembly for directing fluid flow from a discharge assembly comprising a front plate, a rear plate, at least one intermediate plate disposed between said front and rear plates, said front, rear and intermediate plates being stacked relative to each other and having a plurality of openings therein, said openings in said front, rear and intermediate plates being cooperable to form a plurality of aligned passageways through said plates for directing fluid therethrough from the discharge assembly, said intermediate and rear plates being movable relative to each other and to said front plate to direct fluid in different directions by inclining said aligned passageways, a guide wire disposed on said front plate and extending toward said rear plate, guide means located on said rear plate and having said guide wire passing therethrough, said guide wire cooperating with said guide means to prevent skewing of said plates relative to one another and control means associated with each of said plates for effecting movement of said intermediate and rear plates to incline said aligned passageways so as to direct fluid from the discharge assembly in a desired direction.
 2. A registered louver assembly for directing fluid from a discharge assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein said front plate includes a shoulder portion thereon, said intermediate plate includes a shoulder portion on one side thereof and a guideway on the opposite side thereof, and said rear plate includes a guideway thereon, said shoulder portion of said front plate being disposed in said guideway of said intermediate plate and said shoulder portion of said intermediate plate being disposed in said guideway of said rear plate, said shoulder portions and cooperating guideways acting to limit the relative movement between said rear, intermediate, and front plates and provide for positive positioning of said plates relative to each other.
 3. A registered louver assembly for directing fluid from a discharge assembly as defined in claim 2 wherein said guide means comprises a pair of spaced apart guide members disposed on said rear plate and said guide wire has a substantially U-shaped configuration with the ends thereof extending through said guide members.
 4. A registered louver assembly for directing fluid from a discharge assembly as defined in claim 3 wherein said rear plate includes a hemispherically shaped shoulder portion disposed thereon, said control means includes a control rod having a hemispherical shaped flange portion thereon, said control rod extending through said hemispherical shaped shoulder portion on said rear plate and said hemispherical shaped flange portion mating with said hemispherical shaped shoulder portion to thereby control movement of said control rod and limit the degree of inclination of said aligned passageways.
 5. A registered louver assembly for directing fluid from a discharge assembly as defined in claim 4 wherein said control rod further includes spring means biasing said hemispherical shaped flange portion into engagement with said hemispherical shaped shoulder portion.
 6. A registered louver assembly for directing fluid from a discharge assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein said guide means comprises a pair of spaced apart guide members disposed on said rear plate and said guide wire has a subStantially U-shaped configuration with the ends thereof extending through said guide members.
 7. A registered louver assembly for directing air from a discharge assembly including a front plate, a rear plate, a plurality of intermediate plates, said front, rear and intermediate plates being stacked relative to each other, said front, rear, and intermediate plates each having a plurality of openings therein cooperable with openings in each of the other of said plates to form a plurality of aligned passageways through the stacked plates, a control rod for effecting movement of said rear and intermediate plates relative to said front plate to thereby incline said aligned passageways to direct air in a desired direction from the discharge assembly, a guide wire disposed on said front plate and extending toward said rear plate, and guide means disposed on the rear plate and through which said guide wire passes, said guide wire preventing skewing of said plates relative to each other and providing for positive positioning of said plates in response to movement thereof by said control rod.
 8. A registered louver assembly for directing air from a discharge assembly as defined in claim 7 wherein said front plate includes a shoulder portion thereon, said rear plate includes a guideway thereon and said intermediate plates each include a shoulder portion on one side thereof and a guideway on the opposite side thereof, said shoulder portion on said front plate being disposed in the guideway on the adjacent intermediate plate, said shoulder portion of the intermediate plate adjacent to said rear plate being disposed in said guideway on said rear plate, and said shoulder portions of the other intermediate plates being disposed in the guideway of the intermediate plate adjacent thereto, said shoulder portions and said guideways cooperating to provide positive positioning of said plates relative to each other.
 9. A registered louver assembly for directing air from a discharge assembly as defined in claim 7 wherein said guide means comprises a pair of spaced apart guide members disposed on said rear plate and said guide wire has a substantially U-shaped configuration with the ends thereof extending through said guide members. 